Charter questions on ballot Nov. 2

WINSTED — While state and congressional elections will be on the minds of voters as they make their final decisions ahead of Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, Winchester town officials are reminding voters that they also have some local issues to decide.

“We want to highlight that we have the local charter questions on the ballot,� said Mayor Candy Perez in an interview Monday. “In addition to all the brouhaha about the state elections, there are two very important questions that concern all of us in Winsted, about the residency requirement for the town manager and a provision change that would allow the town’s finance director to work on the school budget.�

Perez noted that controversies have erupted in the past regarding the town of Winchester’s requirement that its paid town manager be a resident of the town. She also said the requirement could be seen as an impediment to attracting the best candidates.

As far as the provision for the finance director goes, Perez said approval of the measure would allow Finance Director Henry Centrella to work more closely with school officials on the annual school budget, in hopes of improving communications and accuracy. Work on the school budget is currently excluded from the finance director’s contract.

Perez noted that there has been very little controversy surrounding the proposed charter revisions, which were approved June 23 by a five-member Charter Revision Commission appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The commission was chaired by Barbara Wilkes and included members Shirley Allshouse, Richard Nalette, Marsha Sterling and Maryann Welcome.

The two proposed changes to the town charter will be featured on the state of Connecticut’s offical state election ballot for Winchester, in a separate box to the right of the political races.

The first question will read “Shall Article V, Section 503, entitled ‘Residence’ be removed in its entirety from the charter of the town of Winchester?�

The second question will read “Shall Article IX, Section 902 be amended to allow the duties of the finance director to include the financial affairs of the Board of Education?�

“It’s important that people remember these questions are on the ballot, to the right,� Perez said. “We want people to know it’s there and to vote.�

Perez acknowledged that the 2010 political campaigns have been contentious and that some people may have lost interest in the process.

“Negative campaign ads on all sides have been running this fall, and there are some people who don’t want to bother to vote,� she said. “But locally there are some important issues that require citizen input. We hope people will come out to give a yes or no vote.�